# Does absinthe show up on drug tests? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 2, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712 "2005-09-02T06:33:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chefIL11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chefIL11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefIL11)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/1 "2005-09-02T06:33:44Z")
A friend of mine drank absinthe this past weekend. (I’ve had a little bit before and its awful!) A conversation arose over the composition of the drink and how the chemical compisition is similar to THC. Now he’s worried, and calling, and freaking out. First I told him that I didn’t know, and it wasn’t like I make him drank it, then I said I’ll look into it when I headed over to the SDMB. So should he be worried? It will be for the police and fire department. Time is of the essence I suppose. I’m quite curious about this one myself!! ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/2 "2005-09-02T06:51:09Z")
I very much doubt he had his hands on real absinthe. Most absinthe these days contains no derivatives of wormwood at all and is just strong than average, highly herbed liquor. If the bottle came with a label on it, and it didn’t cost him the best part of $200 chances are it contained nothing illegal. Of course that doesn’t answer whether it shows up on drug tests. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/3 "2005-09-02T06:52:25Z")
I’m not sure about the answer, but your friend can spend about [$12](http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=100702&navAction=jump&navCount=0&skuid=sku375984&id=prod375983) , and get an at home drug test. If he passes it, he can be fairly certain he’ll pass any other test. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/4 "2005-09-02T07:07:20Z")
Unless the drug test in question is testing blood-alcohol levels, there is no way absinthe would show up. Hypothetically, even if it did show up (the wormwood), it wouldn’t be a problem (assuming your friend is 21 or older). Absinthe is illegal to import into the United States, not to posess or drink. Having it it perfectly legal. ---
**Author:** ![gaucho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@gaucho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaucho)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/5 "2005-09-02T13:24:28Z")
I believe thujone is the chemical you’re referring to, and I doubt there’s any drug test in the world that checks for it. I’d be more worried if I’d eaten a poppy-seed bagel. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/6 "2005-09-02T13:30:03Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > If the bottle came with a label on it, and it didn’t cost him the best part of $200 chances are it contained nothing illegal. You can for sure buy Absithe for about the price of a decent bottle of scotch or high end vodka. You can also buy it for $200 a bottle, but you don’t need to spend that much for it. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/7 "2005-09-02T13:32:54Z")
Does absinthe show up on drug tests? Not sure about that, but I have heard that absinthe makes the heart grow fonder. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/8 "2005-09-02T14:00:04Z")
The question is not whether or not they test for alcohol or absinthe, but if it causes a positive on THC. Both these web sites that I found with Google: [http://www.health.org/nongovpubs/absinthe/](http://www.health.org/nongovpubs/absinthe/) [http://www.absinth.com/links/faq.html](http://www.absinth.com/links/faq.html) say that thujone is similar to THC. If these are reliable sources, it sounds at least possible it could be problem. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/9 "2005-09-02T14:58:26Z")
Even if thujone is similar to THC and shows up as positive for it on a drug test, there’s still a good chance your friend didn’t drink “real” absinthe. IIRC, there is the real stuff, which is still midly hallucinigenic, and the fake stuff, which is still made from wormwood, but a different species that doesn’t have thujone, or nearly as much. So I would say first check the label to see who made it, where it came from, etc… and try to find out what type of absinthe that distille makes. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/10 "2005-09-02T16:06:56Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Even if thujone is similar to THC and shows up as positive for it on a drug test, there’s still a good chance your friend didn’t drink “real” absinthe. IIRC, there is the real stuff, which is still midly hallucinigenic, and the fake stuff, which is still made from wormwood, but a different species that doesn’t have thujone, or nearly as much. So I would say first check the label to see who made it, where it came from, etc… and try to find out what type of absinthe that distille makes. Easiest way to do this: look at the alcohol content. If its less than 60%, chances are its “street-legal” absinthe of the type described by **bouv**. ---
**Author:** ![yerba\_buena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7ea924/32.png) [@yerba\_buena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yerba_buena)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/11 "2005-09-02T18:26:01Z")
The [chemical structure of thujone](http://chemistry.about.com/library/graphics/blthujone.htm) and the [chemical structure of THC](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol) are not similar at all. Drug tests employ antibodies which recognize the shape of a molecule, not its physiological effects. Since the shapes are completely different, it’s unlikely that a THC test will pick up thujone. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/12 "2005-09-02T21:40:54Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > You can for sure buy Absithe for about the price of a decent bottle of scotch or high end vodka. You can also buy it for $200 a bottle, but you don’t need to spend that much for it. Yes, you can. I own a bottle of this so called “absinthe”. It does not contain thujone. Just coz it says absinthe on the bottle doesn’t mean it is absinthe. Of course, **Cynical Gabe** were both under the wrong assumption. It is illegal for [resale, not import.](http://www.seborabsinth.com/faqs/legal_us.asp) Unless there’s a distillery in America, you’re going to have to import from EU. And that’s expensive. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/13 "2005-09-02T22:48:34Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > Of course, **Cynical Gabe** were both under the wrong assumption. It is illegal for [resale, not import.](http://www.seborabsinth.com/faqs/legal_us.asp) [Guess again](http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml#AbsintheAlcohol) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/14 "2005-09-02T23:22:09Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > Yes, you can. I own a bottle of this so called “absinthe”. It does not contain thujone. Just coz it says absinthe on the bottle doesn’t mean it is absinthe. Do you presume to know what I have in my liquor cabinet? I have some absinthe - real absinthe made from wormwood and containing thujone. ---
**Author:** ![SlyFrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@SlyFrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlyFrog)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/15 "2005-09-02T23:35:50Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > [Guess again](http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml#AbsintheAlcohol) Interesting. The formerly cited website notes that it is illegal for resale, but not for personal consumption. Which in itself does not say whether it is actually legal to import (which your site, of course, does discuss). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/16 "2005-09-03T01:46:26Z")
re: the legality of absinthe. Recently, many countries (perhaps all) in the EU have allowed the sale of absinthe containing thujone. The level of thujone are limited to 10 mg per bottle. I was originally introduced to absinthe in the Czech Republic, and the stuff I had contained about 10-20 mg of thujone. All I could say is, I’ve never experienced any hallucinogenc effects from the drink, and I suspect absinthe’s psychedilic properties are more mired in myth and the fact that it’s 120-140 proof alcohol, than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![jackemaxton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@jackemaxton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackemaxton)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/17 "2005-09-03T02:31:21Z")
Slight hijack but I know someone who is making his own “absinthe” from everclear and wormwood extract from a health food store. So why it may not be 100% authentic the effects are identical 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/18 "2005-09-03T02:43:24Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > Do you presume to know what I have in my liquor cabinet? I have some absinthe - real absinthe made from wormwood and containing thujone. No, but all I’m trying to say is that a lot of people are under the impression that their $30 bottle of absinthe has thujone in it. So, if following on from Cynical Gabe’s nice link, if it’s real then you can’t import it, and it isn’t made in the US (I believe it to be the case, pending an opposing cite of course) then if you’re in the US, chances of the person in the OP owning some are slim. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/19 "2005-09-03T04:19:05Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > I very much doubt he had his hands on real absinthe. Most absinthe these days contains no derivatives of wormwood at all and is just strong than average, highly herbed liquor. If the bottle came with a label on it, and it didn’t cost him the best part of $200 chances are it contained nothing illegal. Authentic absinthe is nowhere near that expensive. If you know where to look, you can find it here in the States. I even have a Polish tea called “Absinthum Fix” which is a tea made from wormwood, and apparently contains both alpha- and beta-thujone isomers, if the Polish label is to be believed. It is the foulest, most bitter tasting substance I have ever had. I have never been able to drink more than one or two sips of it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712/20 "2005-09-03T04:22:41Z")
[Here’s a list of some absinthes](http://www.laboheme.uk.com/en-gb/dept_2.html), their prices, and their thujone content. You cannot buy this stuff legally in the US, but you can buy it in Canada (so far as I know) and much, if not all, of the EU. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-absinthe-show-up-on-drug-tests/319712.md?page=2)